Marilyn Monroe Murder Theory Mayhem

The Great Deception: Marilyn Monroe Murder Conspiracies

Did you know every Marilyn Monroe murder conspiracy can be traced to its origins? And did you know that there are documented occurrences where Marilyn Monroe overdosed previously?

While the general population appears to have what they believe to be a solid understanding of the conspiracies into the murder of Marilyn Monroe, they don’t have a general baseline as to when and from whom the conspiracies originated. This article will provide specifics as to who started the theories and when. Further, the general population doesn’t have knowledge of Marilyn Monroe’s prior overdoses or suicidal tendencies, which are covered at the end of this post.

1964: The First Mention of Murder – Frank Capell, Maurice Reece, Jack Clemmons in The Strange Death of Marilyn Monroe

Not long after Marilyn’s death, right wing extremist and writer of The Herald of Freedom newsletter Frank Capell, together with FBI informant Maurice Reece, head of the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, and LAPD Officer Jack Clemmons met up to discuss her death. Yes, this was the same Jack Clemmons who was the first officer on the scene at Marilyn’s home following the report of Marilyn’s death (he wasn’t a detective or investigator, just an officer). Maurice shared with Capell stories of rumors about Marilyn and Robert Kennedy having been romantically involved. From there, due to their hatred of the Left and Liberalism and Communism, and all that the Kennedys represented, they hatched a plan that Marilyn didn’t kill herself but instead was killed by the Attorney General to keep their affair quiet. There was absolutely no evidence of this. It was merely a ploy to incriminate Kennedy as part of his run for Senate. Capell turned to his friend columnist Walter Winchell to distribute this murder theory as part of his reporting. Through his column in the New York Daily Mirror, Winchell began to insinuate that there was more to Marilyn’s death than an overdose of pills. Capell then went a step further and published a short pamphlet about the concocted murder conspiracy titled, The Strange Death of Marilyn Monroe in 1964. This is where the first echo of murder began. The publication didn’t get much notice.

Soon after, an unsourced and uncredited memo was submitted to the FBI, which claimed Kennedy was deeply involved with Marilyn and had promised to divorce his wife to marry her. It also states Kennedy was in town the night of August 4 and registered at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Bobby Kennedy, however, was in the Bay Area near San Francisco that weekend. He was not in the Los Angeles. The memo, which is now believed to have been submitted by Maurice Reece, cited Winchell as a source, however he and Capell were the ones feeding the information about the murder theory to Winchel to begin with. Again, this was a fabricated story, made up solely to discredit Kennedy during his Senate Race.

That same year, Capell and Clemmons wrote another made up story attacking Republican Senator Thomas Kuchel. Even though he was in their party, he supported the civil rights act and therefore wasn’t conservative enough. They claimed he’d been arrested after having performed a homosexual act in an automobile. This story was a step too far. In February of 1965, Capell and Clemmons were indicted for conspiracy to commit libel. Jack Clemmons was forced to resign from the LAPD.

1973: The First Mention of CIA Involvement in Marilyn Monroe’s Death and Ambulances at Marilyn’s Home in Marilyn: A Biography by Norman Mailer

In 1973, just over ten years after Marilyn’s death, Norman Mailer authored Marilyn Monroe a biography and, in his closing, he again surfaced the topic that Marilyn was murdered, but this time by the CIA or the FBI, out of their hatred for the Kennedy family. Again, it was clear speculation. The FBI documented Mailer’s claims in their files. Under intense pressure and scrutiny by the press, Mailer changed his story. He claimed, “I did not say I think she was murdered, I think there was motive for her to be murdered. It’s opinion entirely, it’s my opinion. It’s based on no evidence whatsoever that I had.” He admitted that she more than likely accidentally killed herself. See a YouTube clip of that interview here.

Mailer’s book is often dismissed for its sensational speculation, such as alleged affairs and conspiracy theories involving the Kennedys, he also referenced reports of an ambulance outside Monroe’s house that night. Mailer conceived that these sightings hinted at a possible cover-up or obfuscation surrounding her death. Neighbors claimed they saw an ambulance at around 10 p.m. the night before her body was officially discovered. This claim was later picked up by conspiracy narratives and expanded upon by later authors, but it’s not clear what Mailer himself made of it beyond including it as part of his speculative account. Eventually, it was reported that there were two different ambulances at Marilyn’s home. Read more about this on my blog here.

It was Mailer’s book that really perpetuated the myth that Marilyn was killed, but again, there was no proof or evidence of this.

1975: The First Mention of Marilyn Monroe’s Red Diary and a Press Conference in The Curious Death of Marilyn Monroe by Robert Slatzer

In 1975, Robert Slatzer released The Curious Death of Marilyn Monroe. He repeated the same theories as Capell and Mailer, but he also added even more lies.

It’s Slatzer who created the red diary theory, which allegedly included all the secrets the Kennedy brothers shared with her. It’s because of that diary that RFK had her killed. The diary was never even mentioned previously, prior to Slatzer’s book. While Marilyn wrote extensively in journals, she wrote mostly about herself and her feelings, not about others. No red diary has ever been found.

It’s also in Slatzer’s book where he asserted that Monroe confided in him just days before her death that she was considering “holding a press conference to expose her relationship with Robert Kennedy (and possibly John F. Kennedy).” There is no evidence of Marilyn ever having scheduled a press conference.

While there is photo evidence that Slatzer had actually met Marilyn while she was filming Niagara in 1952, that’s as far as their connection went, although he claims he knew her for the rest of her life. He is not listed in her 1962 phonebooks, which are part of my Marilyn Monroe Collection. Still, Slatzer claimed that he and Marilyn were married on October 4, 1952, in Tijuana. However, one of Marilyn’s personal signed checks shows that she was shopping in Los Angeles at Jax on that date. There’s no way she would have been doing both.

The most damning evidence here, however, is that Capell and Slatzer produced Slater’s book together. Capell agreed, in writing, that all information from his pamphlet could be used to write the book. The signed agreement went on further to say that Slatzer could take credit for writing the book and Capell would remain silent, thus, the book was ghostwritten by Capell. Note the nearly identical titles of their books:

Frank Capell wrote The Strange Death of Marilyn Monroe.

Robert Slazter wrote The Curious Death of Marilyn Monroe.

1975: The First Mention of the Washing Machine Theory and Marilyn’s Staged Bedroom

Jack Clemmons returned to the scene and was interviewed for Slatzer’s 1975 book with new allegations: “Marilyn’s death scene seemed staged.” He said there was no drinking vessel in MM’s bedroom. However, police photos show there was a glass on the floor next to her bed. This is also when he introduced the washing machine theory. “Eunice was doing laundry,” but there’s no evidence Marilyn even had a washing machine. In fact, she sent her laundry out to be cleaned. When he was on the scene, he didn’t ask her why she was doing laundry that early in the morning, nor did he ask what she was laundering. There was no mention of Murray doing laundry or a staged death scene in his initial police report.

These three books are responsible for starting the conspiracy theories that we hear regularly today. Every other book has merely copied these theories, and many have taken them further with greater embellishments and lies.

1976: The First Mentions of Wiretapping and Mafia Involvement in Marilyn Monroe’s Death in Who Killed Marilyn Monroe by Anthony Scaduto

Yet another book that added to the conspiracies was Who Killed Marilyn? And Did the Kennedy’s Know? By Anthony Scaduto, under the pen name Tony Sciacca.

Released in 1976, Scaduto relied heavily on Mailer and Slatzer for source material and it’s in his book that we first start to hear about the mafia being involved in Marilyn’s death, again, completely speculative and unfounded.

Why? Because as the Attorney General, Bobby Kennedy was a serious thorn in the side of the mob. It was in this book that we first heard of Marilyn’s home being wiretapped by Jimmy Hoffa. It was claimed that there were recordings of Marilyn with one or both Kennedy brothers in her home, but when the tapes were heard following a raid, there were no recordings of Marilyn and the Kennedys.

1982: The First Mention of Marilyn Monroe Dying by Lethal Injection in Marilyn Monroe Murder Cover Up by Milo Speriglio

In 1982, Milo Speriglio published Marilyn Monroe Murder Cover Up. Spriglio was a private detective, who had worked with both Mailer and Slatzer. His book built on the idea that the mafia was involved and that they were working with the CIA to protect RFK, and Marilyn was paid a visit by hired gunmen from Chicago, ordered to kill Marilyn by Sam Giancana. He claims she died by injection and not an oral overdose of pills. His source was Lionel Grandison, a coroner’s aid and clerk at the LA Coroner’s Office. Grandison claims he was coerced into signing the death certificate. He also claimed Marilyn’s red diary, which had arrived at the morgue with Marilyn’s body, was missing, which he claims to have seen. He also said he observed extensive bruising on Marilyn’s body, which isn’t consistent with the autopsy report. However, the records show that no personal property accompanied Marilyn to the coroner’s office the night she died. This theory makes no sense. The mob hated the Kennedy family. Why would they have worked with RFK to have Marilyn killed, the one person who was hellbent on destroying him? Several weeks after Marilyn’s death, Grandison was fired for stealing from the dead who were in the morgue.

1985: The First Mention of Marilyn’s Death by Lethal Enema in Goddess: The Secret Lives of Marilyn Monroe by Anthony Summers

The idea of the enema first surfaced in Anthony Summers 1985 book Goddess: The Secret Lives of Marilyn Monroe. He followed the same narrative as the prior books: the Kennedys, Hoover, the Mob, etc. He implied, through second and third hand testimony that cannot be corroborated, it was the red diary that made her a liability. He also said she threatened a press conference to tell all about her relationship with the Kennedys. Her cause of death: Someone, wanting to calm her down, gave her a barbiturate-laced enema. He also states she was found comatose in her home and picked up by an ambulance to be taken to the hospital. Allegedly, she died on the way to the hospital. In 1982, the LAPD interviewed the alleged ambulance drivers, but they say when they arrived Marilyn had already died. He also used Jeanne Carmen as a reference, and there’s no evidence Marilyn even knew her. Also, if there was to have been a Marilyn Monroe press conference, it would have been announced in advance.

Marilyn Monroe’s Prior Overdoses

On the topic of suicide, while the general population is very aware of the various murder conspiracies, few are aware that Marilyn had serious mental health problems that weren’t property treated, and she’d overdosed using drugs and medications prior to August of 1964.

1950: She took an overdose of sleeping pills following the death of Johnny Hyde.

1957: Following an ectopic pregnancy, she overdosed on Nembutal while recovering at home. Husband Arthur Miller and psychiatrist Dr. Marianne Kris. Intervened. In a letter to Lee Strasberg in late 1957, she wrote:

“I am supposed to be happy now, I have all I ever wanted, but I feel sadder than ever. The world seems very far away from me, and I am so very alone.”

1961: Marilyn was recently divorced from Miller and in a deep depression. She had told friends she was suicidal and had thought about jumping out of an open window. She was then hospitalized at Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic’s psychiatric ward. Dr. Kris had her admitted for rest, but she was placed in a locked ward. Upon release, she was transferred to Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center.

In a letter to Dr. Ralph Greenson after being released, Marilyn described her feelings:

“I felt I was in a prison for a crime I hadn’t committed. I felt trapped… I was sure they were going to harm me… I kept thinking to myself, if I can’t get out of here I will kill myself.”

Marilyn’s personal letters often contain expressions of deep loneliness and feelings of being misunderstood:

To writer and friend Norman Rosten (1961): “I’m only one among many… I’m alone. I’m always alone no matter what.”

To psychiatrist Dr. Greenson (1961): “The world around me seems so empty and far away and I feel so left out.”

History and facts, demonstrated here, verify that the murder conspiracies started years after her death, and were initially generated as a way to discredit Bobby Kennedy during his run for Senate, and actually had nothing really to do with Marilyn. She was used as a pawn in the game to discredit Kennedy. Layers and layers of lies and embellishments have been added, and there are no multiple theories, when in fact it is most likely that Marilyn Monroe took her own life, either accidentally or intentionally. There were prior attempts, and unfortunately, she was unable to return that fateful night in August of 1962. And the world lost one of the greatest stars of all time. Fortunately, her legend and likeness is as strong today as it was when she was alive, if not stronger. Her memory and accomplishments will live on for decades to come.

It’s important to note that the 1982 investigation into the death of Marilyn Monroe eliminated the possibility of every single murder conspiracy.